Apparatus for placing marks on a web

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is disclosed for placing chop-marks on the back of a web of photographic prints to facilitate the automatic chopping of the web into individual prints. The apparatus includes a first photoelectric cell that is located downstream of a marker, and which cell, in cooperation with logic circuitry, is used to so control a web drive means that the web is stopped at particular intervals so that a chop-mark may be placed on the back of each print. The apparatus further includes a second photoelectric cell located upstream of the marker which, in cooperation with the logic circuitry, is adapted to check the web for chop-marks which have previously been placed on the back of some of the prints so that the prints having such pre-existing chop-marks are advanced past the marker without having a second mark placed thereon.

United States Patent Devaney, Jr.

- Oct. 24, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR PLACING MARKS ON A WEB [72] Inventor: Mark J. Devaney, Jr., Rochester,

[22] Filed: Aug. 25, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 174,835

[52] US. Cl ..250/219 DR, 226/45, 250/219 DQ, 250/223 [51] Int. Cl. ..G0ln 21/30 [58] Field of Search..250/2l9 DR, 219 QA, 219 DC, 250/219 CR, 219 WE, 221, 222, 223, 231,

65 R, 65 F, 67, 106 T; 340/1463; 226/27,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,631 4/1956 Rajchman ..250/71 3,428,819 2/1969 Quinn ..250/223 3,473,035 /1969 Gardner ..250/223 3,652,862 3/1972 Bayha ..250/219 DQ Primary Examiner-James W. Lawrence Assistant Examiner-D. C. Nelms Attorney-W. T. French et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT An apparatus is disclosed for placing chop-marks on the back of a web of photographic prints to facilitate the automatic chopping of the web into individual prints. The apparatus includes a first photoelectric cell that is located downstream of a marker, and which cell, in cooperation with logic circuitry, is used to so control a web drive means that the web is stopped at particular intervals so that a chop-mark may be placed on the back of each print. The apparatus further includes a second photoelectric cell located upstream of the marker which, in cooperation with the logic circuitry, is adapted to check the web for chop-marks which have previously been placed on the back of some of the prints so that the prints having such preexisting chop-marks are advanced past the marker without having a second mark placed thereon.

' 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure From And I I r 26 I3 25 /9 MAP/ER 7b swim/149 H 35 From And 46 T0 Mar/r /52 lane Missing I. L L ighr 1 APPARATUS FORPLACING MARKS ON A WEB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION prints, it is common practice to form prints of many customers on a single long web of photographic paper. The web is then chopped into individual prints for shipment of respective prints to respective customers. To facilitate the chopping of the web and to render such operation automatic, it has been the practice to place a chop-mark on the back of each-print so that an automatic photographic-print chopping apparatus, by detecting the mark, can chop the prints at the appropriate position, i.e., between each two successive prints. In the placing of a chop-mark on the back of the web, a problem arises in that, with conventional automatic chop-marking apparatus, one or more prints may not, in certain instances, receive a mark. Thus, in the case where the marker runs out of ink in, say, the middle of an operation of marking a web of photographic prints, it may be necessary for the operator to manually cut the lengthy unmarked portion of the web into individual prints. The manual cutting of the web is tedious and a need has developed for an apparatus to place chop-marks on the unmarked portion of the web while skipping," i.e., not placing marks onfthose portions of the web which have been previously marked. With the use of such an apparatus, there is eliminated the need for the operator to manually cut the web, as the web may be cut by the automatic print-chopping apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides an apparatus for placing marks at spaced positions along a web, which apparatus includes a marker, a first photocell located downstream of the marker for controlling the spacing between adjacent marks and for stopping the web so that a mark may be placed on the web at each desired position, and a second photocell located upstream of the marker for detecting pre-existing marks on the web and for causing the portions of the web having the pre-existing marks to be advanced past the marker without those portions being marked by the marker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing provides a diagrammatic representation of one form of an apparatus for placing chop-marks on a web of photographic paper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With regard to the drawing, there is shown an apparatus for placing chop-marks 11, i.e., marks of, say, black ink, on the back side 12 of a web 13 containing photographic prints 14. The marks and prints are depicted in relief to facilitate understanding of the invention. The apparatus 10 preferably includes a benchlike support (not shown) upon which the web 13 is conveyed.'Preferably, conventional longitudinally disposed guide rails (not shown) may be placed on the sides of the web to guide the web as it is moved along the support. The web is driven by the cooperation of a drive roller 16 driven by a motor 17 and a pinch roller 18. A solenoid-actuated marker 19 is positioned in facing relationship to web side 12. Upon actuation by logic circuitry to be described, a mark 11 may be applied to the back of each print at the appropriate location so that, upon feeding of the web into a conventional printchopping apparatus, adjacent prints may be severed from each other by cutting the web at points corresponding to the center of the white border area 21 of the prints 14.

A first photocell 23 is positioned downstream of the marker 19 to detect marks placed on the web. The photocell 23 is so coupled to the logic circuitry that, upon detection of such marks, the web is stopped to permit marking of the web at the correct positions by marker 19. That is, chop-marks which already appear on the web are used to define when and where additional chop-marks are to be applied to the web. Furthermore, the photocell cooperates with the logic circuitry to stop the web drive when a mark does not appear on the back of a print 14 and thus functions as a check'of the marker 19.

A second photocell 25 is located upstream of a marker 19 to detect for pre-existing marks 26 which may have been placed on the web in a previous marking operation; and which operation, through some malfunction, failed to place a chop-mark on the back of each print 14. Upon detection of a pre-existing mark 26, the logic circuitry is so designed in its control of the web drive that a print having such a mark 26 is skipped" past the marker without the placement thereon of a second chop-mark.

Upon detection of a chop-mark 11 by the photocell 23, a one-shot multivibrator 27 is actuated so that a pulse is provided to set a flip-flop 28. In response .to the setting of the flip-flop 28, an OR gate 29 and AND gate 30 are opened, thereby energizing a brake solenoid 31. The brake solenoid 31 functions as an electromagnet, and is positioned proximate to, say, an iron plate 32 which isrigidly connected to a support member 33. The support member 33 is comprised of an arm positioned on each side of the pinch roller 18. The roller 18 is rotatably supported at one end of member 33. At the opposite end of member 33, there is positioned a rubber foot 34 for use as a brake when pressed into contact with the web. The support member 33 is pivotable about a pin 35, located between the ends of the member so that, upon energiration of solenoid'3l, the plate 32 will be attracted to the solenoid 31, causing rotation of the member 33 about the pin 35 and release of the roller 18 from contact with the web. Upon rotation of the member 33, the rubber foot brake 34 will be brought towards the afore-mentioned bench-like support and into pressing relationship with the web, thereby preventing the web from further movement. Conversely, upon de-energization of solenoid 31, the brake will be removed from the web and the roller being suitably biased as by springs will resume contact with the web and cooperate with the drive roller 16 to drive the web. The above-described pivotable roller-brake member is conventional and has some similarities to that shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,742,963, and in British Patent 1,236,182.

With the brake 34 applied to the web, the marker may be advanced toward the back side 12 of the web to apply a mark thereto. However, in order to check that a mark will be applied at a precisely correct location on the back of a respective print, the apparatus provides a gauge 37 of transparent plastic material having one or more printed crosslines 39 extending transversely of the web 13. The gauge 37 is rigidly connected to the marker 19 and the lateral position of the marker is adjustable by suitable conventional means in the direction indicated by arrows 38. If it is necessary to change the position of the marker, the operator need only move the marker so that the crossline(s) are located at about the center of the white border area 21.

The marker 19 may be solenoid-actuated and may be of the type note U. S. Pat. No. 3,500,437 wherein the marker is advanced against a typewriter ribbon to type a mark onto the web. The marker may be actuated in either a manual mode (MAN) or an automatic mode (AUTO). In the manual mode, a switch 40 will be in the MAN position and, upon the closing of push-button switch 41 by the operator, a single pulse will be generated by one-shot multivibrator 42, which will open an OR gate 43 so as to cause an adjustable oneshot 44 to provide a pulse to one input of an AND gate 45. Since the flip-flop 28 is in its SET state, a time delay 50 does not inhibit the AND gate 45 from producing an output. Thus, the AND gate 45 is opened and a pulse is provided through an AND gate 46 to the marker solenoid 19. The pulse moves the marker against the web to mark the back of print 14 and the marker thereafter returns to its initial position. Movement of marker 19 during the marking operation opens a spring-biased switch 49. The return of marker 19 closes the switch 49, causing a pulse generated by a one-shot multivibrator 51, to open an OR gate 52 and to clear the flip-flop 28. The clearing of flip-flop 28 serves at least three purposes: the flip-flop 28 is readied to be set by a detection of a mark by a photocell 23; the input to the time delay 50 is energized; and the brake solenoid 30 is de-energized to thereby release the brake and cause the web to be driven. The time delay 50 is adjusted so that its output will provide a pulse approximately corresponding to the time in which the web moves the distance of one pitch length (P.L.), i.e., the distance between adjacent marks. The function of this time delay is to stop the web drive by actuating the brake solenoid 31 and to indicate such as by a mark missing light 52 that no chop-mark has been detected by the photocell 23 within a time period in which such a mark should have been detected. The operator may then back up the web so that any print which has not received a chop-mark is positioned so that a mark may be properly placed thereon. After backing up the web, the operator may reset time delay 50 upon commencement of the web drive. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the time delay 50 cooperates with the photocell 23 to check the web 13 so as to ensure that no prints are passed through the apparatus without such prints each having a chopmark located on the back thereof.

In the automatic mode for marking the web, the switch 40 is locked in the AUTO position, and the switch 41 maintained closed. The operation is similar to that in the manual mode, except that upon detection of a mark by the photocell 23, an AND gate 53 is opened so as to energize an adjustable time delay 54. The time delay 54 is adjusted so as to give the operator sufficient time, if necessary, to laterally position the marker 19 so that the crossline( s) 39 are properly located. After this time period has elapsed, a pulse is delivered from the output of the time delay 54 to the OR gate 43, which opens the gate 45 and, in accordance with the procedure described above, causes the advancement of the marker against the web.

Where pre-existing marks 26 are present on some of the prints 14, the apparatus is adapted to .skip these prints past the marker without the marking of such prints. The photocell 25 is so positioned that a pre-existing mark 26 will be detected by photocell 25 before a corresponding mark 11 is detected by photocell 23. With the latter statement in mind, the photocell 25 may be located at a distance of one pitch length rninus, say, one-quarter of an inch from marker 19, whereas the photocell 23 is located at about a multiple number of pitch lengths from the marker 19. The detection of a pre-existing mark 26 by the photocell 25 creates a pulse which sets the flip-flop 55, and the output thereof energizes the mark O.K. light 56. Shortly thereafter, the photocell 23 detects a mark 11; a pulse from photocell 23 energizes the one-shot multivibrator 27, the output of which sets the flip-flop 28. The setting of the flip-flop 28 as described previously causes the brake solenoid 31 to be actuated. However, in this instance the energized output of the flip-flop 28 clears the flip-flop 55. In such instance, the output of the flipflop 55 actuates, via a time delay 57, which may be of the order I of several milliseconds, a one-shot multivibrator 58. The one-shot multivibrator 58 opens the OR gate 52 to clear the flip-flop 28. The clearing of the flip-flop 28 occurs several milliseconds after its having been set by a pulse from photocell 23. This time period is too short for the brake solenoid to be energized. Thus, the web is not stopped; and the print is skipped past the marker 19. Furthermore, the clearing of the flip-flop 28 arms the time delay 50, whereby the web drive will be stopped assuming no pre-existing marks are detected first upon the detection of a chop-mark 11 on the next print or upon the passing of the time equivalent for the movement of about one pitch length by the web.

To summarize, the photocell 23, through logic circuitry, causes the web to stop, generally, each time a mark is detected by this cell. The stopping of the web is done to place a mark on the back of each print. The marks are located approximately at the same location on the back of each print so that since the prints are of the same dimension adjacent marks will be approximately equally spaced from one another by a distance identified as one pitch length. The time delay 50 is used to stop the web after a time period has elapsed, during which time the photocell 23 should have detected a chop-mark on a print. The stopping of the web in such instance is indicated by the mark missing light 52, and is perhaps indicative of the failure of the marker 19 to apply a mark to the back of the print. The photocell 25 is used to check for pre-existing marks 26 and, if such a mark is detected on a print, the print will be passed through the market without the application of another mark thereto.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for placing marks in spaced relationship upon a web that is comprised of web portions, said apparatus comprising:

means for driving said web,

a marker for applying said marks to said web so that at least one mark appears on each of said web portions,

first detecting means located downstream of said marker for detecting said marks,

means cooperable with said first detecting means for stopping said web upon detection of one of said marks by said first detecting means for the placement of one of said marks on a web portion located proximate to said marker,

second detecting means located upstream of said marker for detecting pre-existing marks which may appear on some of said web portions, and

means cooperable with said second detecting means for, upon detection of one of said pre-existing marks by said second detecting means, advancing said web portion having one of said preexisting marks past said marker without the placement by said marker of a mark on said last-mentioned web portion.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes a timing means which is cooperable with said web stopping means for stopping said web after a time period has elapsed, which period is approximately equal to the time the web travels a distance which corresponds to the spacing between two marks which are located respectively on adjacent web portions.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said marker cooperates with said first detecting means to mark said web in response to the detection of a mark by said first detecting means.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said first and second detecting means each include a photocell which is adapted to sense said marks. 

1. An apparatus for placing marks in spaced relationship upon a web that is comprised of web portions, said apparatus comprising: means for driving said web, a marker for applying said marks to said web so that at least one mark appears on each of said web portions, first detecting means located downstream of said marker for detecting said marks, means cooperable with said first detecting means for stopping said web upon detection of one of said marks by said first detecting means for the placement of one of said marks on a web portion located proximate to said marker, second detecting means located upstream of said marker for detecting pre-existing marks which may appear on some of said web portions, and means cooperable with said second detecting means for, upon detection of one of said pre-existing marks by said second detecting means, advancing said web portion having one of said preexisting marks past said marker without the placement by said marker of a mark on said last-mentioned web portion.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes a timing means which is cooperable with said web stopping means for stopping said web after a time period has elapsed, which period is approximately equal to the time the web travels a distance which corresponds to the spacing between two marks which are located respectively on adjacent web portions.
 3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said marker cooperates with said first detecting means to mark said web in response to the detection of a mark by said first detecting means.
 4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said first and second detecting means each include a photocell which is adapted to sense said marks. 